


If She Bends, She Breaks; If She Cracks, She Bears

by almostsalright



Category: RWBY
Genre: (sorry), Bad Puns, Bumbleby - Freeform, F/F, Ice Skating, Slow Burn, god wtf do people even tag shit as, look Yang's in this story and it's about ice of course there will be puns, winter sports AU, with a side of white rose
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-07-13 16:14:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16021466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/almostsalright/pseuds/almostsalright
Summary: Disgraced former ice hockey pro Yang Xiao Long finds herself in Atlas to accompany long time friend and 3 time figure skating champion Weiss Schnee and her up and coming snowboarding sister Ruby Rose as they train in their off-seasons. Feeling lost, might it bee (pun) that former pairs skating champ and current sports journalist Blake Belladonna can give Yang a new direction in life?





	1. Snowfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang Xiao Long  
> Yang is lost. Sort of. In terms of her life's direction? 100%. Geographically speaking not so much, she's in Atlas. For reasons that are established in this very chapter! Weird how that works huh?

 

_One year ago at the Remnant Winter Championships in Vacuo..._

_The ice hockey match between Beacon and Haven was highly anticipated by fans from across the world. It certainly wasn’t the final and the quarters usually didn’t receive so much attention however the legendary status of Beacon’s Yang Xiao Long and Pyrrha Nikos of Haven meant that this was a fixture to care about. It was there on that fateful day, with all eyes on her, that Yang lost her cool. The pressure was nothing to her, she’d led her team into more stressful situations on and off the ice. There was that tough match-up against Indigo in the previous year where Yang had almost come in second place. Almost. Then there was that time she was harassed by some grey haired punk when she was relaxing at a bar back home in Patch. That almost escalated into a full blown bar brawl. Almost. Yang lived for almosts, walking the line between trouble and staying clean was completely on brand for her. In fact if she got lien for the amount of times she almost went over the line, she’d have enough money to get into whatever trouble she wanted. As Yang watched the puck drop between her and Pyrrha, she had no idea that her almosts were all expended, that it would be this match that ruined her record of near misses._

_When you’re bigger than everyone on the ice it’s easy to get cocky, Yang knew that. It’s especially easy to ignore the small girls who try and throw you off. They reminded her of the swarms of fans that cried for attention outside of games. Flattering, but she was always far too busy winning to care what they were saying. Almost always. As she signalled for Velvet to pass her way, Yang was jostled by a woman who couldn’t go unnoticed. With hair half pink half brown Yang doubted the player was one who liked to go under the radar. It wasn’t the hair that got Yang’s attention though, it was her words._

_Raven._

_She had definitely said Raven._

_Yang didn’t have time to register what the rest of the woman’s sentence had been before she was shoved up against the wall by a red haired figure who proceeded to skate by with the puck that had been intended for Yang. Shaking her head, and shaking off the pain, Yang tried to concentrate on the game at hand. Tried being the key word. She was more than a little thrown off after hearing her mother’s name from somebody who had no right to know about their relationship. Yang wasn’t angry at first, just confused as to how the tiny bright haired girl could know about them. The anger came later, in the middle of the second period._

_Beacon were leading, of course. Yang might have been off her game and up against Pyrrha Nikos but her team had the tightness that Haven’s seemed to lack. Velvet and the rest seemed to sense Yang wasn’t entirely with them so Coco took over the brunt work of scoring while Yang filled in the gaps in defence. It was a little unorthodox in Remnant competitions to trade positions but Beacon had began to make it common practice. Their coach, Ozpin, was known for his...unusual tactics. Including recruiting young and training harshly. What Ozpin had failed to truly instil in Yang was the meditative state he preached about so often. When things got personal, Yang let them get to her, and that girl who Yang later learned called herself Neo, made things personal. Yang was marking Pyrrha when Neo skated over and said something about Yang mothering Ruby after losing all parental figures. Usually family was off topic when it came to smack talk, but unwritten rules can be easily broken by people who don’t care. Neo kept at it, continuing to mention Ruby, Raven and Taiyang, but it was when she mentioned Summer Rose in relation to Ruby that Yang lost it. The gloves came off, literally, and Yang pounced. She knew she should’ve stopped. She was well aware by the time the blood started to pour but by then it was too late and she was too angry. Neo fought back, to begin with, despite Pyrrha’s attempts to break them up. It was only with the interceptions of both teams and the referee as well as security that ended it. Yang was thrown off the ice and into  the medical bay, and then into a permanent ban. A permanent ban from the sport that was her life, her future._

 

* * *

 

Present Day: Atlas Academy’s Rink

When Weiss Schnee offered for Ruby and Yang to come visit her in Atlas as she trained for the next figure skating season Yang thought it was a terrible idea. She hadn’t seen ice in a year, she didn’t even like the thought of the cold anymore, why would she want to go somewhere that would undoubtedly trigger the memory of the worst day of her life? Ruby is the answer. Ruby is why she would go. As she sat watching Weiss stretch near the ice, Yang was reminded of the ‘persuasive’ argument her sister had given…

 _“Yang please! You haven’t seen Weiss in forever!”_ _  
_

_“We call and text all the time, you don’t have to see your friends to still be friends with them Ruby”_

_“Okay well I haven’t seen Weiss in forever and I’ve never seen her train! Don’t you want a glimpse into the life of the best figure skater in Remnant!”_

_“_ _It sounds like you want a glimpse into more than her life…”_

_“Yang…”_

_“I....I’m not a fan of ice”_

_“You used to be. You were amazing out there”_ _  
_

_“_ _And now I’m not. Just go without me Ruby. Tell Weiss I said hi”_

_“I won’t go if you don’t, but this isn’t about us! Weiss asked us to go for a reason, I think she’s still worried about you”_

_“You won’t let me stay will you?”_

_“I will fly your bed to Atlas while you sleep if that’s what it takes!”_

Yang had rolled her eyes at the time, but she didn’t doubt her sister’s words. Ruby was owed payback from that time Yang and Weiss had sent her and her blow up mattress adrift in the middle of a lake when they went camping. Yang was pretty sure she still hadn’t been forgiven for that regardless of the amount of apology cookies she’d bought. So to Atlas she went.

Yang knew that the trip was important to Ruby for reasons other than Weiss, though Weiss had seemed to become a preoccupation for her recently. Atlas was known for its severely cold weather and even colder people, but even Yang had to admit that the slopes were its main attraction. Snowboarding and skiing weren’t especially her thing, ice hockey had been her sole focus for so long that she’d hardly considered throwing herself down a huge hill on a piece of wood or plastic or whatever boards and skis were made of. Ruby had tried to get her into snowboarding before but Yang was more of a contact sport kind of girl, or at least she had been. For Ruby though, half pipes and slaloms were the thrill she needed. They may be half sisters but being an adrenaline junkie was definitely something that ran in the family. Yang knew that as excited as Ruby was to see Weiss, she was just as if not more excited to grab Crescent Rose and get her own practice in for the next season. If Yang remembered correctly Ruby had placed high enough in her juniors competition to enter the Championships next year, if all went according to plan. Yang had the utmost faith in her sister, as long as she didn’t get distracted.

Thinking of Ruby’s distraction, Yang turned her attention back to Weiss who was finishing a series of complicated moves that Yang couldn’t even begin to name. Figure skating had always _looked_ cool to her, but involved far too much thinking as well as grace for Yang to really get interested. Although she did care enough to know that Weiss was the reigning champion, and has been since she made the transition from skiing to skating. It wasn’t hard to forget since Weiss so often liked to remind her ever since they met at their first Winter Championship. They weren’t even competitors in the same sport but Weiss still liked to flaunt how she could ‘probably skate circles’ around Yang on the ice. Not that she would ever accept one of Yang’s many offers to test that theory. There always some claim that Yang would probably check her or throw her off her game, a poor excuse that Yang let her get away with for the sake of friendship. They’d become quite close over getting to know each other at competitions, and that bond was solidified further once Ruby met Weiss. Now even if Yang got sick of the Ice Queen’s bragging she knew Ruby wouldn’t let them all part ways. _In fairness_ , Yang thought as she was dragged over to the ice by her sister while Weiss finished up her routine, _she’s gotten better recently. Much less icy. Weiss-cy. Hah._

“What are _you_ smirking about?” Weiss raised an eyebrow as she slid to a stop in front of the sisters with a little more flair than was necessary.

“Thinking about how much your heart’s melted over time, Ice Queen,” Yang remarked, resting her arms on the barrier to block Weiss’ exit, “also nice to see you too”

“You think that’s annoying but I actually like having my royal status recognised” Weiss huffed then smiled, actually smiled, and hugged Yang somewhat awkwardly across the barrier. That was the biggest sign that Weiss had loosened up over the years, the hugs. Yang realised that Weiss was probably still worried about her after what happened the year before, and what she deemed a ‘pity hug’ began to get uncomfortable both physically and emotionally so she smoothly detached herself and stood out of Weiss’ way.

“Weiss! You were, uh, so cool out there!” Ruby grinned as Weiss stepped off the ice, and Yang watched with a laugh as Weiss went to hug Ruby as Ruby went to hug Weiss which ended up with one bad angle and one painful looking headbutt.

“How are you more dangerous than ice, you dolt?” Weiss frowned as she smoothed her hair back into place, and Yang caught the flicker of fear across Ruby’s face. Thankfully it was quickly replaced by a blush as Weiss shook her head and smiled, leaning in for a proper, headbutt-less hug.

“Weiss,” Yang cleared her throat, “I thought I told you to stop calling my sister a dolt, you don’t want to add _insult_ _to injury_ ” she finished with a wink, earning her a groan from both girls.

“Glad to see you haven’t lost your sense of humour” Weiss took a step back from Ruby and put her hands on her hips, looking not at all glad.

“Oh that reminds me, are you guys hungry because I saw this awesome cafe we should check out!” Ruby interjected before Yang could joke about Weiss never having a sense of humour. _Next time,_ she thought.

“How did that remind you?” Weiss asked as she bent down to unlace her skates.

“Because! It was called The Polar Espresso...which is a pun...sense of humour...humour...pun” Ruby trailed off with a frown that Yang guessed was aimed at herself, so Yang slung an arm around her shoulder with a smile.

“Sounds good to me Rubes, let’s go!” She said as she started to lead Ruby away whilst Weiss swapped shoes, “Come on Weiss, get your skates on!”

“Ugh” was all she heard before they were soon joined by the telltale click of Weiss’ heels as they left the rink..

 

* * *

 

The Polar Espresso lived up to the hype granted by such a genius name. It was winter themed, as was a lot of Atlas. The perks of being surrounded by snow all the time, Yang figured, it gives you a consistent theme to work with. Ruby went to grab a booth while Yang and Weiss queued, but only after ensuring she’d get free milk and cookies for dragging Yang to Atlas in the first place.

“I’m genuinely surprised you came” Weiss said as they shuffled forwards. The cafe was bustling due to the lunch time rush. The jostling people reminded Yang of the chaos of the ice, and the very reason Weiss was surprised she actually showed.

“Can’t say no to Ruby…” Yang sighed and elected to take in the sights and smells of sweet, sweet caffeine rather than make eye contact. Weiss took the hint and they settled into silence until they neared the counter. After placing their order, Weiss turned to Yang once more.

“You know how I’ve always said I can skate circles around you?” she asked as they waited for their food and drink to be prepared.

“How can I forget when you say it every time I see you?” Yang rolled her eyes, taking the plate of cookies from one of the baristas.

“Of course. Well, you always say we should test that, and now I’d like to” Weiss said, looking far more serious than Yang anticipated. Yang frowned and gave her a look that said ‘hold on a minute’ and gestured for them to return to their seats. Ruby immediately settled down to demolish her plate while Weiss watched Yang patiently.

“You actually want a skate-off?” Yang began after a sip of coffee, still not quite believing it

“I do. On my terms” Weiss retorted. _Of course there was a catch_. Yang raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate. Weiss had talked herself up for years and years but never once did she let Yang try to beat her. Now she was either more cocky than ever or banking on Yang being too put off from her last ice-based incident to be real competition. Probably both.

“I don’t want a race, I want a genuine skill based skate-off. My style” Weiss settled her coffee on the table. _My style, meaning skate like a figure skater, figures._ At that moment Ruby looked up from her cookies with wide-eyed interest. After a moment’s pause, Yang shook her head.

“Seems fair, I used to hit pucks into a net on ice and you’ve only been a champion figure skater three years running” She said with a laugh and a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. In all honesty, Yang was scared. Not of Weiss, or of losing, but being back on the ice wasn’t a concept she felt ready for no matter what the circumstance. Unfortunately this hesitation didn’t go unnoticed.

“I know I _may_ seem like an opportunist right now, but you belong on the ice, Yang. I don’t want you to stop skating just because you’re banned from one _brutish_ sport” Weiss gave Yang a small smile despite the laced insult to her former profession. She reached out to take Yang’s hand but confused, upset, annoyed at herself, Yang frowned and pulled away. _Any other time, any other time Weiss and I would crush you...not now._ She was about to stand up and get some fresh air, clear her head, when a soft hello greeted the table.

 Yang, Ruby, and Weiss all turned their heads to see a dark haired woman stood before them. Dressed in a black form fitting knitted coat with a light turtleneck Yang definitely thought she was striking, _I mean seriously, not that many people can make turtlenecks work_. Ruby and Weiss even appeared to recognise the stranger but Yang? Yang had no idea who she was supposed to be.

“Blake Belladonna,” Weiss began, withdrawing her arm from reaching towards Yang. _Well that answers one question_ , Yang thought.

“Not interrupting, am I?” The stranger, _Blake_ , raised an eyebrow towards Ruby and Yang, which Ruby took as an invitation to join the conversation.

“ _The_ Blake Belladonna! No way!” She stood up and unceremoniously climbed over Yang to exit their booth and shake Blake’s hand.

“Ruby Rose, right?” Blake appeared to shake the hand more out of politeness than anything, seeming a little taken aback by the enthusiasm.

“You two know each other?” Weiss asked, eyeing Ruby with newfound interest.

“Well, no. I mean, I know _of_ Blake. She’s my favourite sports journalist! Your article on Weiss’ win last year was so well written! I mean, everything you write is amazing but I really liked...that...that article. You know _me_?” Yang would have rolled her eyes at her sister’s awkwardness had she not been mildly irritated that everyone seemed to know this woman but her.

“My friends are big snowboarding fans. Neptune actually competes sometimes. I look forward to seeing you and him at next year’s competition” Blake nodded at Ruby, who was too starstruck to form a proper reply, and then she turned her attention back to Weiss, “Miss Schnee, I was wondering if you’d let me do a feature on you. It’s off season so I assumed you’d be less busy, and my bosses told me how much the public, Ruby included, enjoyed my work on you last time. What do you say?”

Yang watched as Weiss tilted her head in contemplation, and then stood up.

“I can’t say I’m not interested but I’d like to know more before agreeing to anything. First thing’s first, however, coffee?” She asked, beginning to make her way back to the counter.

“Tea, please” Blake replied with a nod, taking a seat on Weiss’ side of the booth. At this, Yang stood to allow Ruby to sit back in her seat, but didn’t sit back down herself. A little frustrated at Blake’s complete obliviousness to her presence, and still processing what Weiss had said about skating, Yang grabbed her jacket and prepared to leave.

“This has been great, _loved_ meeting you,” she turned to Blake and then gave Ruby a quick one armed hug, “but I’m going for a walk. I’ll see you back at Weiss’, Ruby” and with that she left, pointedly ignoring Blake. Maybe she should’ve introduced herself when Blake first appeared, but she wasn’t in the best mood anyway and she wasn’t exactly used to being ignored. She was used to good attention, and bad attention. Not none. Maybe Blake knew her already, she was a sports journalist after all, and who hasn’t heard of Yang Xiao Long? Maybe she knew what happened last year and decided Yang was a hothead who wasn’t worth knowing. _Ouch_. _Why am I so annoyed about this? I don’t even know this girl, why do I care?_ The whole situation felt like the icing on the cake of a terrible year. Sighing both externally and internally, Yang took a seat on a nearby bench, crossed her arms, and closed her eyes. _It’s cold, I’m jet lagged, I have no idea what I’m doing with my life and now a hot, mysterious stranger thinks I’m as worthless as I feel. I did not miss you, Atlas._

“Nice night, don’t you think?” A familiar voice broke Yang out of the ‘meditative state’ she’d been trying to get into. In reality, she had been sat for nearly half an hour, head in hands, eyes closed, deep in her thoughts of ‘ _What on Remnant am I even doing anymore?’._ Looking up, Yang watched as Blake Belladonna took a seat next to her. Yang returned her head to her hands.

“Not really” She sighed, assuming that Blake was here to confirm her suspicions and tell her off for her rudeness earlier. Instead, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, Blake didn’t have that same expression of pity that she’d seen on a thousand faces over the past year, nor did she seem angry, just...calm.

“Sorry for ignoring you earlier, I had to catch Weiss when I could. She’s terrible at answering her scroll” The matter-of-factness of Blake’s words caught Yang off guard. Blake was...nothing like she’d expected. _And here I was annoyed at the thought that she’d been making assumptions about me, ironic._

“You’re telling me, and...you don’t have anything to apologise for. I haven’t been feeling great recently and I took that out on you, so I’m sorry” Yang sat up and offered an apologetic, cautious smile which earned her one in return. In the soft light of the afternoon sun, as the light snowfall continued to swirl, Blake did look familiar, but Yang couldn’t place just where she’d seen her before. She knew that they couldn’t have met before, she’d remember those golden eyes, her soft smile, and who else wears a bow like that? No, Blake was new to her, and Yang knew something new in her life could only improve it at this rate. Blake cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow, snapping Yang out of her stupor. She blushed, realising she’d been caught staring, and turned her head away.

“Looks like neither of us made the best first impression, huh? I should introduce myself properly” Blake pulled her hand back from Yang’s shoulder, a move that made Yang realise how natural it had felt to have it there. Like it was supposed to be. _That’s dumb, we literally just met_. Yang laughed nervously and returned her attention back to Blake who had offered her hand out for Yang to shake.

“Blake Belladonna, winter sports journalist ironically from Menagerie” Yang could see a faint blush as Blake mentioned her birthplace, _or maybe it was from the handshake? Is that wishful thinking?_ She couldn’t tell.

“Yang Xiao Long, Beacon’s finest at making the wrong impression” Yang joked with a wink. Then realising what she’d alluded to, she abruptly let go of Blake’s hand and stood. Blake watched curiously for a moment as Yang fidgeted, not knowing whether to just leave again or stand her ground. Undoubtedly Blake would have an opinion on what happened, _everyone does._

“I know what you’re talking about,” Blake began, causing Yang’s face to pale even more than it already had from the temperature, “I think there was more to it than any of us truly know, but you clearly don’t want to talk about it so we don’t have to. Before then? Well, you were good. Not just at running into people, or scoring. You skate well, you _move_ well. You could probably make a decent figure skater if you tried”

 

_“A decent figure skater”_

_“You belong on the ice”_

_“You were amazing out there”_

 

After Blake’s comments Yang hadn’t been able to think of anything else. They’d talked a little longer, sat together on that bench, before Blake got a call and had to leave. Yang wasn’t sure what to make of anything anymore. Blake was not what she’d expected, and she’d given her a lot to think about. All signs pointed to getting back in the rink, getting back in the game, back on the ice where she ‘belonged’.

And with a sign like Blake Belladonna, who was Yang to refuse?

 

* * *

 

As Yang found herself in one of the many guest room’s of Weiss Schnee’s home that night, drifting between sleep and consciousness, she thought to herself:

_“What on Remnant is a triple axel?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've edited this like a million times and it's still...how it is...hope you liked it anyway! If not, fuck! Oh well! Next chapter will be more Blake focused. I'm working on a Reverse RWBY Basis. A RRWBASIS. YBWR. Yep. I'm tired and this has been in my drafts too long now.


	2. Black Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake Belladonna  
> Blake backstory, blakestory? Adam's a c*** but Blake's moving on, and she has an idea of how to make things better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Black Ice too on the nose as a title for a Blake chapter in an ice skating story? Nah I didn't think so either. Also Volume 6 Atlas hype!

_4 years ago...Atlas International Figure Skating Championships_

_Winning should feel good, but as Blake took in the roaring spectators she felt nothing but nausea. The crowd of faces became a blur as Blake focused on one person, the man stood next to her smiling and waving at the crowd. Adam Taurus. This wasn’t Blake’s win, this was all on him. No, by Blake’s calculations they were due third place, maybe second if they really nailed their routine. They weren’t meant to win. They shouldn’t have won. This was on him._

_The day leading up to the pairs skating final was one Blake could never forget. She had been practicing on the ice when she noticed a grey haired young man take a seat in the bleachers. Adam also hadn’t joined her for practice that day, which she was grateful for. When they first came together to skate their chemistry couldn’t be rivalled but Blake couldn’t have known back then the depths of Adam’s desire to win. As is what happens in all too many relationships, Blake only found the red flags when it was far too late. Their first competition had gone well, they had came in first and were set to win the next year as well, and that they did. It was after that second win where Adam began to change._

_Blake wasn’t sure if something changed him or if she simply started to see him more clearly after the infatuation began to wear off, but Adam the Champion was not someone she cared for anymore. ‘Adam the Champion’, a title granted to him by the media which he gladly donned, was nothing more than a petulant man-child with a thirst for gold. A man-child who deemed himself far above his fellow competitors, and on a whole other level from Blake. ‘Sloppy’, he had called her. The first time he said it Blake took it on herself to do better, but after months of training and hard work being amounted to ‘sloppy’ again, and again, and again, Blake knew there was no pleasing him. That’s when the fights began. She insisted that if he found her so awful then he should try winning with someone else, she even tried to bow out of the competition herself, but he wouldn’t let her leave. If she didn’t skate with him_ _she would skate with no one, he had said. The look in his eye when he told her, the grip on her arm, meant she knew he was serious. They reached a compromise in the end, after Blake’s cautious calming of the situation. One more competition and then they were through. One more win, and it was all over._

_The day of their win, their last hurrah, Blake watched as Adam approached the man in the bleachers. She didn’t know what was said at the time, but she saw the same grey hair skulk around the dressing rooms before she was due on the ice, before the couple that were likely to upstage Adam and Blake found themselves in the hospital moments prior to the competition beginning. Blake knew what had happened, there wasn’t a trace of possibility in her mind. Adam’s sly grin as they heard the news only confirmed her suspicions. This was Adam, and she couldn’t help but think about how it could have been her in that medical bay, had she walked away._

_As they posed for photographs with their trophy, their last trophy, Adam leant in to whisper with a plastered smile._

_“You skate with me, or you don’t skate” He grabbed her by the shoulders, his pressure imperceptible to the cameras._

_“Or what?” Blake asked through a smile, not daring to meet his eyes._

_“Or I make it my mission to destroy everything you love”_

_As soon as she could Blake left for Menagerie to be with her family in the warmth; far away from any reminder of the ice and even further from Adam. She assumed he’d find a new partner but he never did. He, just like her, retired from the world of winter sports. An absence she hoped meant others were kept out of harm’s way._

 

* * *

 

Present Day: Schnee Suites, Atlas

Blake’s hotel room was...very Weiss. She hadn’t met Miss Schnee many times, she’d mostly just studied her for her articles but the white and blue decor, the touch of asymmetry...it definitely had Weiss’ flair. Which made sense considering Weiss had upgraded Blake’s previous hotel room to “one of more suitable standards” after they’d discussed the feature Blake was to write on the three-time world champion. While it might not have been her style, there was one particular feature that Blake greatly appreciated about the upgraded suite: the tea maker.

As Blake sat at the marbled island of the apartment’s kitchen, one hand absentmindedly stirring her drink the other supporting her chin, she gazed out at the city’s skyline. She had arrived in Atlas a few days earlier, but the last time she had stayed in the city was...four years ago. With Adam. For Adam. She turned her vision from the city back to her tea. _That was then, this is now,_ she told herself as she took a sip. Returning to Atlas had brought back more unpleasant memories than Blake anticipated. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, but she thought she would have a handle on things by now. Four years on. The plane ride was particularly painful, as she found her thoughts turning to every instance where Adam had shown his true colours and every instance where she’d elected to ignore it. At the time it didn’t feel like a choice, her excuses were just explanations for actions she didn’t yet understand. Now she knew. Now she knew that every time Adam was rude to one of the stewardesses it wasn’t because he was ‘having an off day’. She knew every time he got angry with her it wasn’t because she was wrong and deserved it. She knew all those times he met with the judges before a competition, it couldn’t have been simply to ‘make a good first impression’. He didn’t deserve a single thing he got, least of all the attention Blake had given him over the years. He didn’t even deserve her anger, or her time now. So with unnatural serenity Blake placed her tea down, closed her eyes, and took a moment to breathe. _Smell the strawberries, blow out the candle_. Her mother, Kali had taught her that. ‘Inhale, exhale, clear your mind’.

Yes, she was back in Atlas, but _that was then, this is now_. Now, she was here for entirely different reasons. Weiss Schnee. She hadn’t anticipated how popular her article on Weiss’ last competition would be, but her bosses were delighted with the positive attention it received. They practically begged her to gain Weiss’ approval for a full feature, possibly even a biography they could publish. Blake was curious to know more about the star who transferred from skiing to skating like it was nothing, perhaps not biography-level curious but there was certainly some intrigue there. What intrigued Blake more, however, was something she had learned only a day earlier. Weiss Schnee was friends with none other than Yang Xiao Long. How those two came to be friends and what Yang was doing in Atlas were things Blake highly looked forward to finding out.

Ice hockey was never for her, a little too violent for her tastes, especially after knowing Adam, but she always had some respect for those who could run the line between balancing on the ice while maintaining an offensive. She didn’t know Yang personally but her friend Velvet had always spoken highly of her after their time on a team together. Blake had even seen a few of Beacon’s games as she went to support Velvet and Coco and she, like every other fan in the bleachers, couldn’t ignore the sheer strength and determination that was Yang Xiao Long.

Blake didn’t know an exceptional amount about ice hockey except for what faint knowledge remained from her days of playing hockey in school. She assumed it was more or less the same. Except on ice, and with random bouts of  fighting. What she did know, however, was that Yang’s infamous match was not a case of arbitrary violence. Initially Blake had heard about what happened from Velvet the day afterwards. She heard Velvet talk about how out of character Yang’s rage was, how disappointed everyone was to have had something like that happen. Curious as ever, Blake sat down to watch what had happened, keeping a close eye out for signs of Yang’s aggression. It was the second rewatch where it clicked. The woman who taunted Yang into her rage was someone Blake had seen before. Someone _Adam_ had had dealings with. She’d only seen her in passing, and had no idea what business she had with Adam Taurus, but that was definitely her. Neo. Naturally inquisitive, and sensing a story with a bigger scoop than ‘Yang Xiao Long Loses Her Cool In Quarters!’, Blake tried digging further. Replaying the moments leading up to the fight she saw that Neo had been talking to Yang, who seemed to be trying to ignore her, but whatever she said got through over time. Blake spent the better part of half a year trying to find out more about Neo, where she went after what happened, what she possibly could have said. In fact, Blake came close to visiting Yang in Patch to get her side of the story but was reminded by her family about how Blake of anyone should know that people need time to calm themselves after stressful situations.

“After all,” they told her, “if this Yang woman had something to say about what happened surely she’d go to the media herself”

Blake knew they had a point, and with her search for Neo coming up empty repeatedly she knew it was about time to move on. That’s when her bosses gave her the Schnee assignment, and that’s why she came to Atlas. For Weiss, not Yang.  _Priorities,_ she reminded herself as she glanced at her watch. She had an appointment with Weiss to discuss the details of what was necessary for the feature soon, so with one last look towards the familiar skyline she grabbed her things and left.

 

* * *

 

Curiosity got the better of her. It usually does. Blake and Weiss had met at the training facility and spoken about Weiss setting aside time to give Blake the information she needed. They’d spoken about possible photo shoots, insights into Weiss’ routines, every thing Blake was told to mention by her bosses. Then as the conversation began to wind down, Blake brought up what had been on her mind earlier.

“I know this isn’t especially relevant but I think there is something I, and I’m sure some of your fans, are curious about” Blake began as Weiss rose from her seat to refill her coffee mug.

“And what may that be?” Weiss asked, turning to face Blake with a hand on her hip. Blake figured that Weiss must’ve assumed she was about to ask about the transition from skiing to skating and why that took place, a topic that Weiss had established was firmly off limits.

“Yang Xiao Long” Blake asked cooly as she flicked through her notes, a casual attempt at avoiding eye contact. She was met with a laugh as Weiss turned back to the coffee pot.

“Ah, I see” Was all Weiss said before retaking her seat opposite Blake, coffee in hand. Blake waited until Weiss was comfortable and gestured with a nod for her to continue.

“We met a few years ago, three maybe? I thought she was rather... _brutish_ at first but I was wrong”

“Really?” Blake raised an eyebrow, hoping Weiss would take the bait.

“I’m aware of Yang’s current... _reputation_ , but as I’m sure you must have heard from Velvet, that’s not who she is at all. She’s hot headed, but she’s not _ruthless_.” Weiss levelled Blake with a look of severity that caught her off guard.

“How did you two even become friends?” Blake shook her head with a smile. Though she only knew Weiss, and not exceedingly well at that, Blake could see that they were two very different people.

“We had competitions held at the same rink years ago, my first figure skating competition actually. I saw her practicing on the ice _and don’t tell her this_ but she actually has very commendable technique. Of course she saw me watching and tried to flirt with me afterwards, which I obviously put a stop to. We bonded over skating and she taught me a few things, we’ve been friends ever since.” While Blake found the story rather endearing, there was one phrase in particular that jumped out at her: “ _commendable technique”_. She didn’t disagree with Weiss, but remembered with a blush how she’d told Yang the day before how “well” she moves. _“You move well”, what was I even thinking?_ It was true, which was the worst part of it. Yang was a born natural, and Blake had heard from Velvet what a loss Yang was from Beacon’s squad. Despite the questionable circumstances from which she parted from her sport, Blake couldn’t help but feel empathy for Yang’s situation. Of course they differed in their reasons for leaving their old lives behind but Blake recognised that neither girl had actually wanted to stop. Blake knew that without Adam’s influence she likely would’ve continued with pairs skating, maybe she would’ve taken Sun up on one of his many offers, but she didn’t have a choice. She did consider branching into other sports as Weiss did once she left skiing, ice hockey even crossed her mind but after what happened with Adam she didn’t dare go near ice again regardless of what it entailed. _Yang though...Yang could branch out, couldn’t she?_ Blake was held back by a threat she daren’t risk, but as far as Blake was aware Yang’s hockey ban didn’t extend to figure skating, or pairs.

“Blake?” Weiss’ gentle nudge snapped Blake from her thoughts and she was met with an unexpected look of concern.

“Sorry, I was just...thinking. What’s Yang been doing for the past year?” Blake asked, thoughts still elsewhere.

“Not all that much, unfortunately. Fixing up Bumblebee, her bike. I’m not sure” Weiss shook her head and sighed wistfully, confirming Blake’s suspicions. Leaving Adam left her indisposed, feeling useless for a lot longer than she’d like. A fate she wouldn’t wish upon anyone. With this in mind, she had an idea. Adam had ruined her future in skating, and who knows how many other lives he’d ruined on his destructive path to the top, but maybe Blake could make some atonement.

“You know,” Blake stood up, clapping her notebook closed, “you said Yang has ‘commendable technique’, don’t you think she’d make quite the figure skater?” Weiss looked up, and Blake watched as a smirk spread across her face. Blake was testing the waters, and it seemed as though they were just right.

“I do” Weiss stood and joined Blake as they put their empty mugs in the sink, but then a frown replaced her smile, “except she didn’t seem very amenable to taking me on earlier, and she’s always said she prefers team sports”

At this, Blake stopped what she was doing and glanced back at Weiss with a wink.

“Pair Skating takes two”

 

* * *

  

After a quick discussion cut short by a call for Blake from her bosses Weiss and Blake settled on the idea of getting Yang to at least try being on the ice again, and if that went well the next step was to set her up with a good enough partner. Between them they knew a fair amount of male skaters but Blake only really trusted one, and so she made the call later that evening back in her suite.

_“Blake! Hey! How’s Atlas?”_

_“Cold, how’s Mistral?”_

_“Same old. I’m kinda bored out of my mind”_

_“Well, maybe I can help with that”_

_“Seriously? Please tell me we’re finally going to skate together!”_

_“No, Sun. Not you and me”_

_“Then...what? I’m confused”_

_“Are you into ice hockey?”_ _  
_

_“I mean, yeah. It’s pretty cool. Heh, was that a pun?”_

_“You know Yang Xiao Long?”_ _  
_

_“The Yang Xiao Long? Who doesn’t! She’s a legend!”_

_“Do not tell anyone because nothing is set in stone yet, but I think she could make a great skater”_ _  
_

_“For sure, she killed it when she played for Beacon. Oh man is she going into proper skating now?”_

_“Not officially but I’ve been speaking with Weiss-”_ _  
_

_"Weiss Schnee? As in female champ three years running Weiss Schnee?”_

_“Yes, Sun”_

_“Blake you have friends in high places!”_ _  
_

_“And then there’s you”_

_“Hey I’m in a pretty high place too, Mistral’s got a lotta cliffs”_

_“Anyway Weiss and I think Yang would do well in pairs…”_

_“Oh wait are you saying…?”_

_“I’m not saying anything, yet, but if Yang was looking for a partner would you be willing to work with her?”_ _  
_

_“Absolutely, Blake. I still wanna skate with you, but sure I’d love to skate with Yang for you”_

_“Okay well nothing is happening yet but if we get her on board Weiss will pay for your ticket to Atlas to train”_ _  
_

_“Oh man I am hyped”_

_“It’s not-”_

_“Yeah I know I know but if you ask, Blake, well who can refuse you? Neptune’s gonna be so jealous”_

_“Don’t tell him until it’s actually happening, please”_

_“I won’t I won’t but thanks for thinking of me Blake, I know a ton of guys who’d kill to partner with Yang Xiao Long”_ _  
_

_“Alright then, I’ll keep you updated”_

And with that, the plan was set in motion. Now all it needed was its key player. As Blake prepared for bed that night she couldn’t help but smile, properly smile, for the first time in a while. _Last time I was here, I let something terrible happen. This time, I might actually make someone’s life better. Hopefully. That was then, this is now._

* * *

  This time, she might even find answers. Neo and Adam had to be involved together, and if Blake could hear Yang’s side of the story she might even be a step closer to getting real dirt on Adam. It was with this realisation that Blake had her second epiphany of the day. If she found Neo, and she found real proof of Adam’s misdeeds, she could expose him for all to see. She could help Yang move forwards in her life and prevent Adam from destroying others’ in the future. As Blake finished brushing her teeth she wondered what it was about Yang that made her want to know so much, she knew it couldn’t just be the tenuous link between Adam and Neo. Maybe that had been the start of it, but that look she’d seen the previous day, that look of utter defeat as Yang sat alone on a bench in the cold...that was a look Blake never wanted to see again, and she’d do what she could to help make things better. _For once._


	3. Snow Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss Schnee  
> Weiss has feelings, it's a whole thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kinda White Rose heavy, hopefully you're into that too. If not, yikes? As with a ton of Bees stories on here, their thing is secondary but it's still a solid ship you guys. WR stuff won't be the main focus but if you do like it, it's still present. Especially in chapters from their POV because that just makes sense. Every character has their own thing going on! That's how stories work! I think!  
> (This will likely be the least Bumbleby-y chapter in the entire thing so it's all on the up from here dw!)

 

_Excelling at sports came naturally to Weiss, as most things did. She was a perfect storm of natural born talent coupled with an immense drive to succeed. That is, when she cared to. When it came to skiing, she did not care to. Well, not as much. It was her father’s hobby that he had foisted upon her at a young age and of course Weiss was talented but placing second was not enough by Schnee family standards. Second is first loser after all, or so they said. Repeatedly. Thus when Weiss placed second for the second time in her final junior tournament her father called her to his office for a talking to. Exhausted physically from a day of competition and preemptively mentally exhausted from the lecture she was about to suffer through Weiss entered the room in no state to receive criticism. So when that was all she got, she snapped. ‘When was the last time I enjoyed anything I did? Why am I doing this if I don’t care?’ Those were the questions she had asked herself again and again. The last time she enjoyed herself, she thought, was when her mother used to ice skate with her and Winter. Before Whitley, before Winter left, before her mother turned to alcohol to get through each day. Yes, skating had made her happy once, and she knew it could again. Stood opposite her father, ignoring the words spat like venom from his mouth, Weiss decided that enough was enough. She told him that she was done with skiing, done with living the life he wanted for her. It was time she made her own decisions, ones that made her feel something other than misery. If he didn’t care for her happiness then that was his loss, she’d do just fine without him._

_“You are my daughter, you’ll do as I say!” He had all but screamed._

_“I am my own person, this life is mine” Weiss was calm and collected on the surface, despite the bundle of nerves knotted in her stomach. His reply? He simply told her to leave. So she did. She left the Schnee Mansion in Atlas and stayed with a family friend, Klein, for a few days until she received a call._

_“Unless you can prove yourself worthy of the Schnee name, you will leave this family”_

_“I’m going to skate”_

_“...then you’d best win”_

_Winning was the easy part, Weiss found. In spite of his grievances Weiss was given permission to use her father’s money to buy the best equipment that money could buy, and of course the innate skill helped. No, the hard part of the transition from snow to ice was the deterioration of all her familial relationships. With Winter working for the military and the rest of her family being...who they were, Weiss felt more alone than ever. At least when she skied her father had made the effort of pretending to love her. However her freedom came with a newfound sense of self and that outweighed all the domestic trouble it brought. Ice skating was fun, so much fun. Weiss wanted to win and not because of her father’s ultimatum, but because she cared about the thrill. At first the pressure to do well did intimidate her, but that all changed when she finally found some friendly faces._

_When Weiss first met Yang Xiao Long she had no idea who she was. All she saw was a blonde girl with surprisingly impressive skill on the ice. Weiss had watched as Yang practiced, intrigued by the way she moved. An ice hockey player with grace was something Weiss hadn’t expected, though she didn’t know all too much about hockey obviously. Turns out Yang was full of surprises, as she made so very clear when she confronted Weiss for watching._

_“Do you stare at all the pretty girls on the ice or am I just special?”_

_That was the first thing Yang had said to her. Ever. So perhaps the most surprising thing was that they became such good friends after that. Weiss immediately scoffed at Yang’s suggestion, and the rest is history. Losing her connections with her family Weiss had realised that so many of her ‘friends’ were there either because of or for her name. Yang was the first instance where somebody hadn’t known or cared who she was, a breath of fresh air. Ruby was the second instance. Ruby was...something else. Ruby didn’t know who she was to begin with but once Weiss told her about her past and her current career in skating Ruby became her biggest cheerleader. Whenever Weiss questioned her defiance, or felt unsure in general, Yang and Ruby were there to remind her that her passion was what mattered. Not her name._

 

* * *

 

Present Day: Atlas Academy’s Ice Rink

When Weiss Schnee first began figure skating she would be disappointed if her mind ever strayed from the task at hand.

_‘Head up, shoulders back, right foot forward’_

That’s how every performance, every routine, every simple exercise began. However unlike when she started out, Weiss’ mind grew to easily wander from her rigid framework. At least in her practices. Today’s practice found her thoughts swirling on two topics. Her future, and that of one Yang Xiao Long.

 _‘Pairs skating takes two’_ had been the words of Blake Belladonna, and they gave Weiss a lot to think about. She’d never been one for pairs. In her experience partners only slowed her down. Quite literally. Weiss wasn’t a speed skater but she liked to think she was gracefully agile, and it’s a little more difficult to move so quickly when you’re forced into the embrace of another. Hopefully Yang would have better luck with the partner Blake was preparing to propose, though Weiss doubted it. Yang wouldn’t grace the ice to finally settle her bet with Weiss, getting her to get herself together for a stranger was little more than a longshot in Weiss’ eyes. Nonetheless, she had agreed with Blake that it was a shot worth taking. Why Blake Belladonna cared so much was beyond her, but Weiss wouldn’t deign question where the help came from as long as it got Yang feeling better again. Yang and Ruby were like family to her, more so than her own father even and as much as she would never admit it the last year had been no fun at all without them. Not that Weiss had time for fun, of course, but if she did...well, it wasn’t the same with Ruby off snowboarding and Yang...staying home.

_I could never stay home._

As Weiss settled into one of her old routines, the one that won her her first competition, she couldn’t help the ache of resentment that washed over her. Not resentment towards Yang, but her father. Her family. She knew it wasn’t fair to feel envious of Yang but logic couldn’t stop the pang of anger as she compared their lives. Yang lost the sport she loved and Weiss knew it was killing her friend but she still had so much. She had a place to run back to, a family to still love her with that unconditional love that Weiss craved so much. What did Weiss have? A threat? ' _You’d best win'_. That’s what her father had said. A goal, that's what she had. A goal that reset every single time she achieved it. _‘You’d best win'._ So she did. Then she had to win again. And again. Now she was gunning for win number four. How many more times did she have to win before she could finally, _finally_ win something close to what Yang had? Win, win, win. Weiss laughed bitterly as she sped up for her final jump.

_It’s never going to be enough, is it?_

As aggrieved as Weiss felt towards her family and her never-ending pressure, the world seemed to fall away as she leapt into the air. As the world span, her head cleared. _I will win, but I’m doing this for me_. She nailed the landing, of course, she’s Weiss Schnee after all, but Weiss almost lost her balance when she heard thunderous applause coming from the barriers. She had been so caught up in her own world that she failed to notice Ruby creeping in. Irritated at the disruption Weiss shot a glare at her one-woman audience which resulted a sudden silence as the applause came to an end. Then, upon seeing Ruby’s apologetic smile that was in Weiss’ expert opinion _‘far too annoyingly cute’_ Weiss rolled her eyes and began to skate over, a smile of her own replacing her frown.

“That was awesome, Weiss!” Ruby exclaimed before promptly turning her back to Weiss.

“Thank...you? What are you doing?” Weiss leant over the barrier to see Ruby fiddling with a tray of...something. Then with one quick turn the two were face to face. Weiss could only blink in surprise as she watched Ruby’s eyes widen, presumably just as startled by the lack of distance between them. The moment lasted less than a second as Weiss felt something scald her leg. Instinctively she jumped back, forgetting that she was still on ice, and still wearing ice skates. That’s how the graceful and glamorous  Weiss Schnee ended up falling backwards in a mess of ice and coffee while her supposed 'friend' stifled a laugh.

“Are you-aha-are you okay Weiss?” Ruby asked, clearly trying not to let slip how hilarious Weiss’ misfortune was for her. Weiss’ glare from earlier returned and increased in severity tenfold. She crossed her arms, still sat on the ice, and glared and glared.

“Okay, really, are you okay? I seriously didn’t mean to spill coffee on you I was trying to surprise you, which I mean-mission accomplished! Right?” Ruby babbled as she opened the gate to the ice with one hand and held the offending cups of coffee in her other, trying desperately not to spill them even more while awkwardly manoeuvring her way to Weiss’ side.

“Weiss? I know your glare says ‘I’m Weiss and I’m annoyed’ but are you seriously okay?”

As irritating as she found it, Weiss couldn’t stay mad. It really had been an accident and she was more or less fine. She fared better than her training jacket at least.

“You...are a hazard to my health. But it’s the thought that counts” She rolled her eyes and took the mug Ruby offered her with soft smile. Ruby in turn smiled sheepishly. They shared a quiet moment as they sipped from their drinks, until Weiss found herself trying not to spit hers out. After almost choking, she managed to sputter out an explanation.

“I think this one’s yours. Blasphemous amounts of cream and sugar”

“Aha, sorry” Ruby rubbed the back of her head as they exchanged coffees. They drank again, more peacefully this time, until Ruby swallowed and caught Weiss’ eye, “Could we maybe get up? It’s kinda super cold”

“You didn’t have to join me on the floor you dunce” Weiss replied as she stood, offering Ruby a hand. And then her whole arm when Ruby almost instantly almost slipped. Weiss looked away as Ruby clutched her arm, mostly to cover her chuckle but maybe to hide a blush. _Body heat, that’s all_ , she told herself.

 

* * *

 

After an embarrassingly loud rumble of her stomach, Ruby insisted on taking Weiss out to find some food to go with their coffee. It took some convincing as Weiss protested on the grounds of having a meeting with Blake to prepare for and with a note that Ruby had had far too much sugar already. Of course that didn’t stop her. They ended up in the Polar Espresso since Ruby insisted that they wouldn’t find anywhere else with a better name but honestly Weiss didn’t really care where they went, it was just nice to be with someone. Especially Ruby. Ruby made it feel like nothing really mattered, _in the very best way._ As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Weiss shook her head. _No, that’s a dangerous line of thinking. Let’s not._

“Weiss? Something up?” Ruby’s puppy-like head tilt and hesitant smile did not help. Whatsoever.

“Just thinking…” _Thinking about how much I’d really like to stop thinking about you._

“About…?” It was unfair, Weiss decided. Life was totally unfair. Of course it was, and of course there were more logical reasons for having such a cynical perspective but the moment Ruby inclined her head with a cheeky smile and leant forward, the moment Weiss’ heart quickened despite her wishes, she knew -officially- that life was unfair. She’d known Ruby far too long to start...wanting to know her differently now. _I want to know her differently now_. _What does that even mean?_ She knew exactly what it meant, but still the frustration tore into her. Not that that lasted too long. As Ruby’s curiosity turned into a look of concern, Weiss realised she’d been thinking for far too long. She had to say something. Anything. Except the truth, obviously. Anything but that. _Stop being an idiot, Weiss. Oh! Idiot!_

“Your sister!” Weiss blurted out, and then died internally when she realised how that sounded.  

“Oh. Uhhhh……” Weiss knew she’d made a mistake. She knew it the moment she said it, of course, but she felt a pang of something she didn’t quite understand when Ruby’s confusion turned into...something Weiss couldn’t quite grasp. _Disappointment? That might be wishful thinking. Resignation...? What would that even be about?_   Whatever the case, with Ruby staring at her half empty glass of milk, Weiss felt that all too idiotic urge to keep talking. To fix things.

“Do you think you could convince Yang to return to the ice?” She reached over without thinking, because apparently she was stuck between doing far too much and far too little of that that day, and took Ruby’s hand in her own. _This is not perfect form. This is awful form. What am I even doing?_ Whatever it was, apparently she was doing it right. Or at least it seemed so, because with that question, and that contact, Ruby seemed to perk up. The transition from seemingly sorrowful back to that upbeat Ruby Rose Weiss was more familiar with was more than a little jarring, but the squeeze of her hand meant Weiss definitely didn’t spend time dwelling on the fact.

“She said she wouldn’t skate against you but...but I know she wants to get back out there! She packed her skates after all” Ruby revealed, and ignoring the part of her brain that was going into meltdown about how good it felt to have Ruby’s hand in hers, Weiss felt a glimmer of hope for her friend. _Blake said she wasn’t a lost cause, maybe there’s hope for you yet Xiao Long._

“Speak of the devil” Weiss squeezed Ruby’s hand and motioned her head towards the entrance of the cafe. Before Yang could find their table amongst the crowd Weiss withdrew her hand and stood.

“Where are you going?” _Is it wishful thinking or does she look hurt that I let go?_

“I told you before, you dolt. I need to speak with Blake. Also...I need you to do something for me. Please” Although it killed her to have to go, Weiss was telling the truth. She was already going to be late to meet Blake and talk business, and Weiss Schnee was never late. For the most part. Obviously this ‘meeting’ with Ruby counted as extenuating circumstances, of course.

“You’re saying please so it must be serious! But sure, whatever you need Weiss. Well, not whatever. Like, I wouldn’t kill someone. Unless they were a really bad guy but I doubt- sorry, what do you need?” As much as Weiss would love to stay and listen to Ruby babble, _and tragically that’s not even sarcasm,_ she was highly aware that Yang had finally spotted them and was on her way over. So Weiss leant over to grab her things, and leave a hint.

“Ha. Ha. You’re almost as funny as your sister," She began, before brushing past Ruby to reach for her bag, "your sister who needs to be convinced to at least try getting back on the ice again, specifically on Monday, perhaps…”

And with that, she left. The last memory of her cafe ‘date that was absolutely not a date’ being the unmissable reddening of Ruby’s cheeks as she stepped back from their whisper. Well, that and exchanging quick pleasantries with Yang as they passed each other. But saying hi and goodbye never quite sticks in the mind as much as the thoughts of seeing someone you like blush at your proximity.

_Someone I like...Ruby you really are a hazard to my health._

 

* * *

 

All that nonsense aside, Weiss genuinely hoped Ruby could get Yang to skate again. Although even if that didn’t go to plan Weiss was still excited by the prospects of Blake’s ‘surprise’. Though Weiss knew exactly what, or who, it was already. She was paying for the flights after all. She knew Yang needed someone new in her life, and hopefully Blake’s friend would be just the person to help her on a new path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah Weiss, Yang needs someone new. Not the hot mysterious cool af Blake who’s brand new to her and doing her best to help her, some random dude Blake knows! smh
> 
> Side note: Weiss was born on the 12th of...something and I was born on the 12th of...today so I figured I'd post this early - 12 solidarity, you know?
> 
> Next time:  
> More vaguely accurate sports terminology, more Bumbleby, and a red scarf...
> 
> [Coming hopefully before Christmas! Sorry for the delay! I have writer's block and poor time management skills!]


	4. Red Scarf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby Rose.  
> Ruby and Yang have a chat, also moves are made. Whatever that could mean...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took forever, oof. For some reason Ruby is 100% the hardest character to write so this chapter looked pretty different for a long while.  
> Hopefully there'll be less of a gap between these next few but hey no promises!  
> Happy Holidays!

Chapter Four: Red Scarf

_An indeterminate number of years ago…_

_Ruby Rose took after her uncle. That was one of the first things Taiyang had noticed about his youngest child. Where Tai and Yang fell hard and fast for the thrill of ice hockey, Ruby was entranced by snowboarding from the moment Qrow took her up a slope. It was Qrow who taught her how to move with speed and edge, and how to improvise when things went wrong. Which meant it was also Qrow who ended up in the hospital every time he’d tried to stop Ruby from going too fast._

_Unlike Yang, Ruby didn’t exactly compete to win. She was there to have fun, mostly, but also to scope out everyone else’s equipment. Year after year she’d beg Taiyang and Qrow for a new board; lighter and more flexible. Or even a completely custom one. Eventually they gave in, and Ruby got the best present she could have ever asked for. Ruby Rose doesn’t want to win, everyone knows that, all she wanted was something to call her own. Crescent Rose was exactly that. After discussions and planning that seemed to go on forever and with the help of Qrow Ruby finally came up with the perfect board. Red, black, sleek, and absolutely cool as hell. Ruby may not have ever cared about winning but with Crescent Rose on her side she couldn’t even help it._

_For Taiyang things became complicated when both his children started to climb the ranks of their respective sports. Tournaments didn’t clash often but when they did, well, he couldn’t be everywhere at once. So the family agreed on a tradition. Take it in turns. Easy right? Whichever one Tai was to attend, Qrow would be there for the other girl. Neither minded, Ruby and Yang understood that they couldn’t have everything and besides, asides from the occasional grumpiness Qrow was just as good a cheerleader as their dad. Except sometimes things go wrong, and you’re left in the cold with no family whatsoever. Which is what happened to Ruby._

_It was her final competition before turning 18, her last step before the big leagues. It also happened to fall on the day after Yang’s quarter final catastrophe. The day before the biggest competition in her life Ruby found herself in the hospital taking care of her older sister. Of course she didn’t mind, she’d do anything for Yang and she knew Yang would return the favour. But it sucked. It sucked to see her sister hurting, especially more emotionally than physically. Ruby knew any broken bones would heal soon enough, but she didn’t really know what to say to Yang once her career, what seemed to be her whole life, was over. There’s only so many cookies you can bring a girl before you realise that they’re not really going to cut it, as Ruby learnt. So when the day came for Ruby to compete herself, her mind wasn’t really with it. Yang was the one who told her to go, but as she stood atop the slope she was a little more focused on what was going on with her sister than what technique she should be employing in the coming run._

_Ruby Rose doesn’t want to win, but for the most part she still had solid focus. Except for that day. She was as fast as always, which was always too fast, but that time she didn’t even have the control. Through sheer luck she came out of that competition unharmed, but the same couldn’t be said for Crescent Rose. One bad landing strategy, too much weight on the tail, and her board was done for. She didn’t care that she didn’t win, but that’s probably what most assumed as they saw her blur by at the bottom of the run in tears. Snapping Crescent was worse than Ruby breaking anything herself, or at least it felt like it at the time, and the timing only made it worse. She couldn’t ask Qrow or Taiyang or Yang to help her fix it since they were all a little preoccupied with Yang’s own loss, and she didn’t want to make the situation worse for her sister than it already was. Qrow did notice when he came from the hospital to pick her up, but Ruby insisted she could fix it herself. But when she returned to Patch with Yang she couldn’t even bring herself to look at the cracked board._

_Crescent was broken, her sister was feeling broken, and everything sucked. But one good thing did come out of that day. When Ruby was hurrying to leave, and hiding from the mob of interviewers, she was ambushed by a younger boy. He introduced himself as Oscar, a fan, and presented her with a gift. A red scarf. He said that a group of fans had meant for it to be a congratulations, but after what happened it at least might be a comfort? And it worked. Ruby felt terrible about the last couple of days but that one little gesture meant the world. So even though she didn’t dare look at Crescent Rose, and even though she didn’t know how to make Yang feel better, the little red scarf helped the cold feel warmer._

 

* * *

 

Present Day: The Polar Espresso, 30 seconds after the last chapter

Yang was approaching. Weiss was leaving. Ruby was...confused? She was confused.

_Yang needs to get back on the ice, sure. But why Monday? You can’t just give vague instructions and leave Weiss! I’ve had a year to convince her and I’ve done nothing! And how is Blake involved? And I have way too many questions and Yang is almost done ordering. What. is. happening._

“Hey Rubes! What were you and Weiss doing here all alone?” Yang raised an eyebrow, implication obvious. And then Ruby was right back to panic mode about the other thing going on in her head. Weiss. _This was a date, right? Was it a date? I don’t know anything!_

“Ahah haha ha”, Ruby laughed. Nervously. Very obviously nervously. “I mean, this is a coffee shop so not alone, you know? Tons of people. See that guy over there? Oh and look! Another person! Not alone”

For some reason her distraction technique didn’t seemed to work because Yang just crossed her arms and sat back.

“Suuure. Are you okay?”

_Nope! Nope. I don’t know what I’m doing, Yang. With Weiss, with you, with my life. My board is still broken, I can’t convince you to skate, and there is zero way I can tell Weiss how I feel. Where do you wanna start?_

“Yeah I’m good!” _...at lying, nailed it._

“Uh huh” Yang nodded, definitely buying it. “So what were you and Weiss talking about? She said you have something to ask me?”

_Okay so definitely not buying it. And Weiss, why have you done this to me?_

There was only so much Ruby could lament in her head before she had to say something, before the silence grew a little too awkward.

“Uuuuuhhhhh. You. We were talking about you.” Ruby wasn’t sure honesty was the best policy, but something had to give. Better talk Yang than discuss or explore her own emotional insecurities. Totally.

“Great” Yang said, not looking great. Ruby knew it would happen, it always happened whenever anyone talked about Yang. She closed up. Which was the opposite of what Ruby wanted.

“Well, I mean, all good things! Obviously! Um, I was saying I…” I don’t know where I’m going with this. If I straight up ask her to come to the rink to skate or whatever she definitely won’t. Gaaahhhhhhh.

“You were saying?”

“Could you come to the rink on Monday?” _Yep. Strong start. Just don’t ask why!_

“Why?”

_...I don’t know what else I expected._

“Um. Yang?” Here goes. Again, Ruby didn’t know if honesty was the best policy but it was the only policy she could think of in that instant.

“Yeah?” Yang looked downright concerned, which was understandable. As much as Ruby felt like a mess in her head she couldn’t imagine how hopeless she actually seemed to people watching. But she had to continue, she had to get Yang to the rink, for Weiss. Also because she had to do something to get her sister feeling better, and maybe it was blind faith from infatuation, but Ruby trusted Weiss had a good plan.

“I...do you like my scarf?” Ruby cursed herself internally. _Don’t segue! Just get into it!_

“Yeah it suits you, red” Yang smiled, Ruby guessed politely since she noticed that Yang couldn’t hide her confusion.

“I got it the day of that last junior competition. Some fans gave it to me” Ruby fiddled with the ends of the material, it was soft. A comfort. And something to look at that wasn’t her sister.

“That’s sweet”

“It was. Uh, it’s especially sweet because...because you know I didn’t do well right?” Ruby looked up and met Yang’s gaze. _Deep breath. I got this. Honesty._

“Yeah I mean you said you didn’t win…” Yang reached an arm out to comfort her.

“I did not. Didn’t even finish, technically. I mean, I’m fine, but...well I guess I’m not fine. I broke Crescent Rose”

“You...broke Crescent Rose?” With the look of confusion across Yang’s face Ruby knew she had to elaborate immediately.

“I mean, not on purpose! I landed badly! Bad landing strategy! And she’s...broken…and I don’t know how to fix her. And I’ve spent the last year in Patch knowing I need to do something but I can’t. I just know it won’t be the same, and I guess I don’t trust myself to do a good job. So I’m doing no job. Which I’m realising might be worse.” Ruby was babbling, she was hyper aware she was babbling, but at least some truth was coming out. And it really needed to.

“Ruby…” Like Yang, Ruby wasn’t a fan of pity, so she had to keep talking.

“Don’t. Don’t. It’s fine. I mean, it’s not fine. But maybe that’s the point, you know? Maybe this is a sibling thing? We do nothing because it’s easier than putting ourselves back out there after everything. It’s easier to wallow than walk on. I don’t know what I’m doing without snowboarding but I can’t...I can’t go back to it right now. Not without Crescent. And I know you can’t go back...so maybe we should both do something new, right?” Ruby stopped to breathe, and so Yang could process. And so she could wait in that horrible pause of anticipation for Yang to shut her off completely.

“What are you saying, Ruby?” Yang looked annoyed, for sure, but...her words weren’t as harsh as Ruby thought they’d be. If anything, this could be...productive?

“I’m saying, come to the rink on Monday and we can figure out what either of us are doing, or at least we can stop feeling sorry for ourselves for a little while, please?” Ruby grabbed Yang’s hand, an attempt to implore her to at least consider it. Which weirdly seemed to work. Yang dropped her gaze and sighed.

“Fine” She muttered, almost imperceptibly. Almost.

“Really?” Ruby bounced back to life after a heavy last couple of moments.  _There's hope!_

“Really. I am not playing ice hockey with you, though” Yang gave Ruby a glare, but a soft one. If that was possible. It wasn’t a smile, but there wasn’t anger. Things felt light, for the first time in a while.

“Uh so did you just come here for coffee or…?” Ruby tilted her head, realising that she’d forgotten to ask why Yang even walked in on her and Weiss in the first place.

“Ah, no. I was going to...I was looking for Blake?” Yang asked, rather than stated. Ruby felt like it was more of a question to herself than something she should answer. But it was interesting.

“Blake? But you stormed out her when you met her a couple of days ago” So why was she looking for her now?

“Ah, she, uh, found me afterwards. Made me feel a little better. I was just gonna get her a drink to say thanks or something.” Ruby didn’t miss the blush as much as Yang tried to hide it by taking a sip of her drink. A long sip. The sort of sip Ruby takes when Weiss says something too cute and she has to hide her smile before Weiss asks why. Before the day comes when she just blurts it out.

“Oh! Weiss! Weiss is in a meeting with her right now! Wanna crash it?” Ruby practically bounced up from her seat, almost knocking her now empty plate off the table. It may have been a dumb idea but it at least seemed like a good opportunity to get Yang’s mind off of _...well, everything I just unloaded on her._

“I’m not crashing Weiss’ meeting to stalk someone I just met, Ruby,” Yang retorted, but Ruby didn’t miss the twinkle in her eye “but I will crash it so that you can see Weiss” she finished with a wink and annoyingly arrogant smirk. This time there was no hiding Ruby’s blush.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about but let’s go anyway” Ruby said with the least convincing innocent pout, gathering her things as Yang followed suit.

 

* * *

 

“Okay so they’re meeting wherever Blake is staying. Plan officially cancelled” Yang had said upon their discovery that Weiss wasn’t at her place. That didn’t stop Ruby, however.

“That’s fine, she’s staying at Schnee Suites”

“How do you know that?” Yang asked but this time it was Ruby’s turn to smirk.

“What can I say? You’re not the only one who’s a fan” She’d meant it as a joke but Yang looked torn between surprise, confusion, and slight jealousy? “I’m kidding I’m kidding! I heard Weiss on the phone with her earlier, they were talking about upgrading her stay”

“Your girlfriend’s so high maintenance” Yang laughed, shoving Ruby playfully before they both hopped back on Bumblebee.

“Not my girlfriend” Ruby muttered against Yang’s back. _Not yet, but maybe soon?_

The drive to the hotel didn’t take long and with a quick inquiry at the front desk they found Blake’s apartment number. It only took Ruby watching with a huff as Yang flirted shamelessly with the receptionist to get what they needed.

“Knock knock!” Ruby knocked, and was greeted by a very unamused Weiss. _Okay now realising how bad of a plan this was. Whoops._

“Ruby? And Yang...what?” Even though she seemed a little annoyed, Ruby couldn’t help but smile at the classic Weiss pose. Hand on hip, raised eyebrow, look of absolute judgement.

“Uh, heyyyyy...” Ruby started, and realised she had no idea how to finish.

“Is everything alright?” Blake approached the door next to Weiss, not looking as unamused but not looking much of anything. Neutrality seemed to be Blake’s signature style.

“Saved by the Blake” Ruby heard Yang whisper behind her, which prompted a roll of her eyes. It also prompted her to remember why she was even here.

“Oh! Right! Yang…” Ruby stepped behind her sister and pushed her forwards, through into the apartment and right into Blake, “is here to confirm she’s coming on Monday”

“And you couldn’t have simply shown up on Monday, or confirmed over scroll?” Weiss narrowed her eyes, but still moved aside to allow the girls in, shutting the door behind them.

“Maybe Ruby just wanted an excuse to see you, Weiss” Yang turned around with a glare, stepping back from Blake but shooting her an apologetic smile, “sorry about her”

“It’s fine” Blake said, the slight upturn of her lips giving away that she found the situation funnier than any of the other three girls. Ruby looked from Yang to Weiss, who had both crossed their arms, and stepped towards her sister.

“I’m trying to help you out!” She pushed her playfully, but still a little annoyed she’d brought the Weiss thing into it.

“Yeah? Same to you” Yang pushed her back, so Ruby pushed her back again, with a little more force than she’d intended.

“Can you two please stop? You’ve been here for two seconds and you’re already giving me a headache. Not to mention, how do you know where Blake lives?” Weiss pulled them apart before their sibling roughhousing could any roughhousier.

“So much for Schnee security” Blake smirked, causing Yang to barely stifle a laugh.

“Don’t you start too! I swear…” Weiss put her hands to her head before taking a seat at the island in the kitchen, “seriously what are you both doing here?”

Ruby looked to Yang, who looked to Ruby. Who looked back. They came to a silent sister agreement. We are so not telling the truth. Honesty is a bad policy. Through a series of really not subtle head nods and faux charades, it was determined that Yang would take this one.

“Just, you know, in the neighbourhood. And, I wanted to...confirm Monday was cool with you. I don’t want to compete against you, Weiss. But I guess...I guess I could give skating a shot. Someone told me I’d make a decent one” Yang seemed to direct that last comment towards Blake but Ruby was a little distracted to get the full implications, mostly she had turned to Weiss who looked from Yang to her with a raised eyebrow as if to say ‘you actually did it?’

“Well, I’m glad to hear that. Though you did not have to crash my business meeting to tell me. And Ruby’s here because…” _Aaaand Yang can’t save me from this one._

“Uhhh just wanted to say hi? So, uh, hi?” Ruby shrugged, hoping her totally innocent smile would somehow get her out of it. Weiss narrowed her eyes.

“Well whatever, you’re both here now. But I was just wrapping up with Blake anyway so maybe we should leave her be” Weiss looked over to Blake, as if for confirmation of her leave, and was met with a nod that seemed to satisfy her.

“Yeah sure thing. You two go on ahead, I just wanna ask Blake something” Yang gestured for them to go so Ruby did, trailing after Weiss who had collected her stuff with surprising speed.

“What’s that all about?” Weiss asked as they stood waiting outside the elevator.

“Oh uh I don’t know” Ruby ran a hand through her hair, trying not to think about how Yang was way more confident with Blake than Ruby was with Weiss and she’d known her so much longer. _Yang makes it look easy, pft. I mean, I could ask her if I wanted to right? I just need to know that’s what she wants. Gah why is life complicated?_

Before Ruby could find the answer, because surely she’d get it in the next two seconds if she wasn’t interrupted, the ding of the elevator pulled her from her thoughts. And so did Weiss, literally, as she pulled her into the elevator.

“Aren’t we waiting for Yang?” Ruby asked as the door’s began to close. Weiss didn’t meet her eyes. _That’s always a great sign._

“I just wanted you alone for a second” Weiss looked up from the floor but still away from Ruby. _Oh. Oh! Wait how romantic is a elevator? Do I…? I should just do it, right?_

Before she could overthink it anymore, she just did it. Ruby leant forwards, cupping Weiss’ cheek so that they kinda had to make eye contact, just so she could get an assurance that ‘hey this is okay and I definitely want you to do this’, and aside from looking a little caught off guard, that is what Weiss seemed to say as she leaned to meet her halfway. Their lips met and it was short but sweet. Chaste, definitely chaste, but more importantly a promise. A promise of more to come, and a confession and confirmation that feelings went both ways. Once it was over, which to reiterate was far too soon, Weiss and Ruby pulled apart and looked at each other with matching shy smiles.

“Should’ve done that way sooner” Ruby laughed, earning an eye roll from Weiss.

“Well if I couldn’t stop thinking about you before…” Weiss joked, and then seemed shocked she’d managed to say that aloud, causing Ruby to laugh more.

“So…” Ruby started as the elevator reached the lobby.

“So…” Weiss continued as the doors parted.

Ruby held out a hand as they stepped out and towards the exit, and felt her heart practically explode when Weiss actually took it. This...is the best.

They were greeted by Yang not long after they reached Bumblebee and Weiss’ car.

“You guys couldn’t wait two seconds? It took forever for the elevator to get back up!” Yang gestured as she took a seat on her bike.

“We didn’t know how long you’d be” Weiss replied calmly. Almost too calmly.

“Ugh, whatever. Race you back!” Yang revved as she pulled her black helmet on. Leaving Ruby torn; go on Bumblebee and almost die or go with Weiss and suffer her road rage. Except Weiss just kissed her so…

“Ruby you traitor!” Was the last thing she heard before both Yang and Weiss began to floor it.

 

* * *

 

Yang won, of course, but Ruby went home feeling like the real winner that day. She’d told Weiss how she felt, sort of, and was on track to help Yang feel better. Now all she needed was to do something about Crescent Rose, but nobody wants to focus on their own issues first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get it White Rose! Back to the Bees next chapter don't worry  
> Also love how I was on a 2 month hiatus and did 0 writing that entire time, oh boy. Uni is hectic but I'm on holidays now at least thank god
> 
> Next Time (whenever that is):  
> Yang goes ice skating, Blake and Weiss have been scheming, feelings are felt


End file.
